Charging device



Aug. 20, 1940- H. R. MaMlcHAEL.

CHARGING DEvYIcE Original Filed June 21, 1935 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY .NHLH

Patented Aug. 20, 1940 UNITED STATES? CHARGING DEVICE Hugh R. MaeMihael, riqdmmil, Calif.

' original application June 21, l 1.935, lserial No.

` 27,697. Divided and this application 'November 14, 1935, Serial No. 449,739. Renewed'July 8,

1o claims.4 (01214-26) This invention relates to a furnace charger, especially adapted for use in charging an elongated narrow furnace of the Scotch-hearth type for lead smelting. This application is a division 'f-of my (zo-pending application Serial No. 27,697,

led June 21, 1935.

The general object of this invention is to provide a furnace charger adaptable for serving a relatively long narrow-furnace requiring at frequent time intervals fresh charge controllably and accurately deposited in a systematically arranged thin layer therein.

More specific objects are (a) to provide a moveable furnace-charger Whereon charge may *be placed in a thin layer with a predetermined distribution over an areagenerally coextensive with the charge-receiving area of the furnace; (b) to provide archarger adapted to deposit said charge in said furnace while generally reproduc-l ing therein said charger areal-distributional eiect; (c) to provide a charger adapted to discharge through its bottom, but having no relatively-moving mechanical bottom parts; (d) to provide a charger of the foregoingcharacteristics having a plurality of spaced parallel xed openings in the bottom part where-through the carried charge may be discharged by imparting a rapidly accelerating or decelerating movement to the charger to cause movement thereof rela- -tive to its carried charge, thereby causing the latter to be discharged by passing out through said openings; and (e) to provide operative means adapted to impart said traveling and discharge movements.

. Although the novel features which are believed to'be characteristic of this invention Will be particularly pointed out in claims appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, the mode of its operation and the manner of its organization may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming apart thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a ifurnace and its charging system wherewith the Like reference characters denote like parts inl the several figures of the drawing.

The charger I0 has a longitudinal frame com- 5=; posed of vthe pchannels I2 and I3 between which are :carried :a plurality of longitudinally-spaced sloping :dat plates I4, thebottom of one said plate overlapping the top of the next louver fashion providing therebetween the successive spaces I5 wherethrough carried charge I6 may be forcibly discharged. Said plates I4 have a slope somewhat latter lthan that of the angle of reposeA of the material to be handled thereby which may.

approximate twenty percent grade in some cases.

Said charger Ill is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced axles Il having the wheels I 8, and movement may be impar-ted thereto by means of the attached haulage rope 2| operating over the head sheave 23 and tail sheave 24, impelledby the electric winch 26 for the move-l ment of said charger on the track 3| positioned above the level of the furnace hearth 32 and extending through 'the hood 33 of said furnace 34 and out undepand beyond the charge feeder bins 36 and feeders 3l.

f Said winch 26'of a conventional type, may be driven. by the reversible-controllable-variablespeed electric motor 38 provided with a conventional automatic adjustable solenoid brake 39' adapted to the deceleration of said motor and driven charger at a generally predetermined rate. The operation of said motor driven charger I I] alongsaiditrack 3| may be under manual control or appropriate automatic control apparatus (not shown) may be. used whereby each cycle of charging operation may vbe'initiated by a timing apparatus and thereafter governed by positioned electrical contacts as. described in my pending application Ser. No.. 27,697 of June 21, 1935.

4In the operation of said charging apparatus, having distributed a charge 'of material on the charger by means of cooperating feeders 3l, the charger III by means ofthe rope 2I and winch 26 may be caused to move at a predetermined velocity towards the furnace 34, with4 the Xed sloping bottom plates I4 inclined downwards in the direction of charger travel. When said moving charger then reaches Ya predetermined position generally'over said furnace, winch electric power is cut 01T and the brake 39 applied thereby causing a rapid deceleration at a` predetermined rate such vthatthe supported charge slides or pitches ahead relative to the decelerating charger, thereby discharging through the spaces I5.

. By appropriately correlating the charger travel speed as driven by the controllablevariable-speed motor 38' and the rate of deceleration ofthe moving charger by means of the adjustable'brake 39,v and both in consideration ofthe charge-carrm-ngJength andV slope of theA tol effect that existed on the charger.

plates I4, the charge may be deposited in the furnace reproducing therein generally the same type of thin layer distribution as that which had existed on the charger.

The distributional eifect is readily understood by analogy to manual shoveling. As examples, assume that an evenly distributed load of uent material is placed on a shovel pallet; a skilled shoveler may then swing the shovel along a path so as (a) to discharge said material into a heap, or (b) to spread it along and generally reproduce the distributional effect which prevailed on the shovel pallet, or (c) he may cause it to be spread over a much longer length than the length of the shovel pallet. Or an effect intermediate to the foregoing typical examples may be produced. The charging apparatus of this invention is devised generally to duplicate any of the foregoing described depositing distributional effects from the appropriately loaded charger.

The charger may be dumped by a rapid change in speed either by deceleration as specied (or by acceleration), and by causing either speed change to take place at a proper rate i and suitably spaced relative to the furnace position; the charger plates I4 being sloped in a direction favorable to discharging. To discharge by acceleration a substantially increased amount of power would have to be momentarily available which could be provided by a larger driving motor, Or, after moving said charger to approximate discharging position over said furnace, a compressed air cylinder arrangement may be used to provide a high-powered rapid discharging Eacceleration and then an air-cushioned deceleration. These or other generally equivalent means for imparting a contl'olled movement to the charger may be provided by skilled engineers without departing from the principles of my invention. Y

The furnace charger of my invention is peculiarly adapted to receive a proportioned distributed charge and to deposit it in a furnace reproducing therein generally the distributional It is especially adapted to operate in the hot gases carrying abrasive dust up through the furnace hood 33, by reason of its construction without the use of relatively moving mechanical parts which would be subject to Wear and abrasion, and to warping by the heat of the gases.

While my charger arrangement is adapted to charge the lead hearth type of furnace, never hitherto successfully charged by mechanical means, it may also be used in effecting a like transporting and discharging of materials for use other than in said furnace.

Although certain novel features of my invention have been `shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that Various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the apparatus illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

l. A charge car adapted to the carriage of fluent material comprising a load-supporting bottom, having a plurality of louver-like longitudinally spaced sloping plates, overlapping with a vertical space therebetween adapted to the forced discharge therethrough of said material; a frame adapted to the substantially fixed support of said plates; and means adapted to the support of said car for travel in the direction of slope of said plates; said car being adapted to discharge said loaded material by having imparted thereto a sudden rapid change in the velocity of said travel.

2. Charging means for an elongated furnace including a charger car adapted to the handling of fluent material comprising a load-supporting bottom having a plurality of longitudinallyspacedI plates positioned to provide successive open spaces between successive plates Wherethrough said supported material may be forcibly discharged; a longitudinal frame adapted to the substantially fixed support of said plates; means adapted to the support of said car for longitudinal travel; and means adapted to impart said travel and to effect a controlled rapid change in the velocity thereof, thereby to cause a differential movement of said car relative to said carried material and thus to force the discharge of the latter.

3. Charging means for an elongated furnace including a charger car adapted to the handling of liuent material comprising a load-supporting bottom having a plurality of longitudinallyspaced overlapping platesy positioned to provide successive open vertical spaces ybetween successive plates' wherethrough said supported material may be forcibly discharged; a longitudinalframe adapted to the substantially fixed support of said plates; means adapted to the support of said car for longitudinal travel; and means adapted to impart said travel and-to elfect a controlled rapid change in the velocity thereof, thereby to cause a differential movement of said car relative to said carriedmaterial and thus to force the discharge of the latter.

4. Charging means for an elongated 'furnace including a charger car adaptedto the handling of uent material comprising a load-supporting bottom having a plurality of longitudinallyspaced longitudinally-sloping louver-like plates positioned to provide successive open vertical spaces between successive plates wherethrough said supported material may be forcibly discharged; a longitudinal frame adapted to the substantiallyk fixed support of said plates; means adapted to the support of said car for longitudinal travel; and means adapted to impart said travel and to effect a controlled rapid change in the velocity, thereof, thereby to cause a differential movement of said car relative to said carried materialand thus to forcethe discharge of the latter. l i

5. Charging means for an elongated furnace including a charger' car adapted to the handling of uent material comprising a load-supporting` bottom having ,a` plurality of longitudinallyspaced longitudinally-sloping louver-like overlapping plates positioned to provide successive open vertical spaces between successive plates wherethrough said ysupported material may be forcibly discharged; a longitudinal frame adapted to the substantially'xed'support of said plates; means adapted to the-support of said car for longitudinal travel; l and means adapted to impart said travel and to effect a controlled rapid change in the velocity` thereof, thereby tocause a. differential Ymovement of said car relative to said carried material .and thus to force the dischargeA of `the latter.

6. Charging means for an elongated furnace including azcharger'car adapted to the handling of uent material 'comprising a load-supporting bottom having a` plurality of longitudinallyspaced plates.; positioned` to provide successive apo open spaces between successive plates Wherethrough said supported material may be forcibly discharged; a longitudinal frame adapted to the substantially fixed support of said plates; means adapted to the support of said car for longitudinal travel; and means adapted to impart said travel and to effect a controlled rapid change in the velocity thereof, thereby to cause a differential movement of said car relative to said carried material and thus to force the discharge of the latter; said charging means being adapted to receive material distributed thereover With the effect of a predetermined systematicallyarranged thin layer, and being enabled suddenly to discharge substantially all said carried material to an underlying furnace and generally to reproduce therein said predetermined areal distribution.

'7. In apparatus for charging a furnace of the character described the combination of a charge car adapted to the carriage of fluent material in a generally thin layer thereon, said car comprising a charge supporting bottom having a plurality of Xed longitudinally spaced plates to carry said charge and being provided with passage-Ways in said bottom between said plates Wherethrough said charge may be forcibly discharged, and means connected with said charge car including a prime mover for causing reciprocal movement of said car in said furnace toforcibly discharge material carried on said plates through said passageways.

8. Charging means for an elongated furnace including a charge car adapted to the carriage of fluent material comprising a charge-supporting bottom for said car composed of Xed plates, adapted to carry a charge formed in a generally thin layer thereon; a plurality of fixed longi iiatter than the angle of repose of the material being handled, means maintaining said surfaces in substantially xed spaced relation, said plates being arranged to define openings between said plates for discharge therethrough of materialA carried on said supporting surfaces, and means including a prime mover for imparting reciprocal n movement to said plates While maintained in said fixed spaced relation to discharge said material from said surfaces through said openings.

1G. Apparatus of the character describedv for charging a furnace which comprises a frame, a plurality of plates having material-supporting surfaces mounted on said frame, means maintaining said supporting surfaces in xed spaced relation relative to saidframe, said plates being arranged to provide discharge openings between said plates and means for moving said frame in said furnace to discharge material from said surfaces through said openings.

. HUGH R. MAcMICI-IAES. 

